AGFAJ Chronicles: Out of Time
by BlazeMarko14
Summary: Time Frame: 8 BBY; Two years after AGFAJ III: Rebirth. While assisting the Republic Intelligence Agency, or the RIA, in trying to track down a surviving Black Sun Syndicate leader, Blaze Marko uncovers an insidious plot to reign chaos across the galaxy. With unlikely allies, he brings the fight to Black Sun...and to even darker enemies.
1. C1: Smuggler's Gamble

**The first of many AGFAJ CHRONICLES. These will take place over the course of random years, but there will never be one that is farther past the current book that is out. So, for example, if Book IV isn't out yet, then there won't be any CHRONICLES from the time after book. **

* * *

C.1

**_"There's always a bigger fish."_**

The planet of twin suns: Tatooine.

Tatooine was a place that had been the site of many battles of two different wars. The battles, however, weren't always solely military. There were battles of the mind and battles of time. Jedi and Sith had been there and both had lost something, or they gained something.

It was home to a number of species including but not limited to: humans, Ithorians, Gran, and Rodians to name a few. There was also the occasional Hutt that would find refuge in the badlands away from Jabba - even though he was dead now - but close to small towns. Supplies were always being shifted around throughout the towns, giving people who wanted to be heard but not seen the ability to survive.

Mos Eisley was a good place to lay low. There wasn't much of a ruling security bureau besides the Hutt's merry band of goons that patrolled the streets when they weren't getting drunk. Many smugglers and bounty hunters used the small apartments in the city to hide out when they wanted to stop. The spaceport wasn't as expensive as one might think when it came to long amounts of time spent there. Short times were more expensive due to convenience.

And convenience was everything.

But, sometimes, that very commodity was what made people slip up.

Just like with Seraph Ungoli.

Scrolling through his reputation profile on my datapad, I looked over to Kink, my clone team analyzer, "It's a wonder how he's been able to stay off our radar for so long."

Kink nodded, "A bounty hunter _and _a smuggler makes his job twice as dangerous."

"Not to mention he's had problems with Jabba as well as the Black Sun." I said, "With Jabba _dead _that would have provided some needed security, but not for long. Not to mention, the Black Sun is a crime syndicate who keeps a grudge. After they nearly fell apart when Maul took over, they have been keeping themselves very close to the vest."

"It also means their operations are even more difficult to pinpoint." Kink said as we made it down the hall of the entryway to the detention area.

I smiled and handed him the datapad, "That, my friend, is why we are still holding him. He might be able to help us."

"I didn't know that the Jedi were actively investigating the Black Sun at the moment." Kink said.

"They aren't. Neither is the Rebirth." I said back, seeing the reception desk up ahead, "The RIA is. They asked me if I would help them find any leads to Murton Lyle. I've been working on a lead or two for a few days with Ahsoka, but nothing came up. This man, though, might be just want I'm looking for."

"If he's a smuggler and he ripped off the Black Sun, then how would he know anything?" Kink asked.

I thought for a moment, then spoke, "I'm counting on the fact that he might know drop off points or vehicle models. That would give me something to go on."

We reached the desk within the next few seconds. I looked around beyond the desks to the hallway. The sides of the hallways, beyond the first blue ray shield, were lined with small cells guarded by red ray shields. Some of the rooms were just holding rooms until they could be transferred to the Gauntlet permanently.

I turned my attention to the receptionist. To my surprise, it wasn't Agent Drawg. This time it was a woman. She looked to be about thirty with long blond hair pulled back into a bun. Her gray uniform was freshly pressed and the buttons at the top of her shirt, near her neck, were unbuttoned so she didn't seem to be too uptight. However, her initial disposition showed how much power she actually had, and what others were supposed to believe was her power.

The most interesting thing about her was the tattoo that was slightly visible on her collarbone. I could make out the purple ink and it looked like the tip of a bird's wing.

Regardless, I gave her a kind nod, "Good morning, Agent."

Surprisingly, she only gave a curt nod back, "Cell 1248."

"I'm sorry?" I raised an eyebrow, "You don't even know who I want to see."

"You don't get to my position in the agency and not know who's coming and why." She said simply. "Seraph Ungoli."

For a good minute, I stared at her, then I nodded, "Well, thanks."

"Mhm." She hummed, leaning to the computer once again.

"What's your name?" I asked.

She looked up at me and for the first time I realized that her eyes were a shade of lavender. Her gaze sharpened for a moment as if she was thinking about her next words.

"SA Maya Shade." She said. "22nd division form the RIA academy."

"Just wanted to know your name." I chuckled slightly, completely throwing away her tone in general. There was no need to get into a fight with someone I would never see again. Especially when that someone was just an RIA agent. There were plenty of them that came and went. She would learn what happened later on.

I started to walk away when she spoke again, "You know, you're not what I expected."

"What did you expect?" I asked.

Maya cracked a smirk, "Someone taller."

I deadpanned, "Sorry to disappoint."

"Quite alright." She said. "Cell 1248."

Kink and I moved from the desk and down the hall. Along the hall there were small cells, as mentioned before, but there were more of them filled today then on a normal afternoon. Granted, there wasn't a new criminal being caught every single day, but it was more often than not.

Coruscant had a population of over a trillion people. Out of that number, about a twentieth of them fell under the poverty line despite the amount of jobs that needed to get done on the surface. Therefore, some had to turn to petty crime to get by on a weekly basis.

The Senate had done all it could, as did the Jedi, but there wasn't a planet in the entire galaxy that didn't have some type of problem with crime.

Before I knew it, I was in front of the cell. I nodded to Kink and he deactivated the shields.

"I hate to ask this." I said, smiling at Kink, "But, can you get us some water?"

"Kriff." Kink muttered.

"Thank you." I said quickly, then walked into the cell, the shields reactivating behind me.

In front of me sat a man, about my age, with a caramel colored skin tone. His hair was short and curly, but his sides were faded and his top hair was slightly fluffed up. His glasses were pressed tightly against the bridge of his nose as he crossed his arms. He didn't make eye contact.

I cast a look around the cell, then I looked back at him, "Just saying, I don't want you in here as much as you don't want to be here."

"How you figure?" He asked gruffly, his voice a mixture of shaded bravado and irritation, mixed with a bit of fatigue.

"I don't waste my time with people that don't deserve it." I said. "You make your living how you make your living, but you were carrying a crate of Pseudo Spice. Now, I don't remember everything, but I'm sure that's illegal."

"Tatooine doesn't have laws against it." He said back.

I nodded, "You're right, but Tatooine is under Republic jurisdiction at the moment until a new leader is appointed. Jabba the Hutt was killed in the Shadow War." _A lie, but he has no idea of that. Tatooine isn't in any jurisdiction. That would be more than problematic._

Seraph uttered a curse, then leaned back in his chair, making eye contact this time.

_His posture is more relaxed, a mixture of defeat and confusion spreading across his face. His eyes dart around the room, searching. The muscles in his face tense. He doesn't favor the information given to him. _

"Why am I here, Jedi?" Seraph tried to sound tougher than his posture suggested. "And, who the heck are you?"

"My name is Blaze Marko. I'm sure you've heard of me. But, even if you haven't, I'm sure you've heard of _this_." I pulled up my wrist-pad and pressed the hologram button. Suddenly, an image of the Black Sun insignia appeared. Seraph's face changed in that instant but only slightly. It was a mere twitch of his eye, but I caught it.

"Black Sun." I said. "More specifically, Murton Lyle."

"Don't know why you're asking me about him." He said quickly. "I can't help you there."

"Oh, I think you can." I said, switching the image to Seraph's mug shot with his rap sheet summarized below it, "This shows that you've had several dealings with the Black Sun. And, in fact, that spice shipment was _for _them. But, something went wrong."

Seraph scowled darkly, caught in his act, "Yeah, yeah, I tried to skim and it backfired."

I chuckled, "More than backfired." I scrolled down a bit, highlighting some text, "They sent a hit team after you. In fact, my troops reported that when they picked you up you were being chased by a group of ten. Good thing I sent thirty troops from the nearby station."

"Thanks." Seraph grumbled.

"Oh, you're welcome." I said. "Now, to repay me, you can tell me where you met with Murton Lyle during your deals."

"You think he's gonna go back to the same places?" Seraph snapped, "He's smart, not dumb."

I closed the distance between myself and the other chair and sat down, "That depends on your definition of dumb. I would call _you_ dumb."

_The muscles in his face tense. His facial heat flares. He's angry. _

Before he could respond, I continued, "You obviously have a lot of physical prowess, being mixed up with the syndicates and all. I would think they wouldn't take too kindly to people who couldn't fight." I pulled down the chart to the last physical examination he had, which was a year ago, and gave a slight whistle, "Physically fit, like I said. Though, you have an allergy to Mority berries." I couldn't help the chuckle that followed.

"Why's that funny?"

"That was the first drink I had here." I said. "My then-interest, Ahsoka Tano – now my wife – gave me some when we made breakfast together. I enjoy those."

"We all don't get that luxury." Seraph said. There was some underlying emotion in her tone.

I raised an eyebrow, "No. We don't." It clicked, "Especially, when some of us spend our time alone."

Seraph frowned, "Don't profile me, Jedi. You don't understand my past. There is a reason why I am alone."

"There's also a reason why you decided to take advanced hand to hand combat courses in Coruscant's lower levels." I said firmly, "There is a similar thing between both of those: you want to be tougher than everyone else."

Seraph shifted his weight a bit and crossed his arms, "Growing up in the slums makes you want to be better than those who used to strong arm you."

I nodded, then I got an idea. I stood up and pushed the desk over to the side of the room. I took off my gray robe and laid it over the table. I unhooked my sabers and laid them down as well and cracked my knuckles.

"What's this?" Seraph asked.

I smiled slightly, "I've got a proposition. Fight me. If you can win, I'll let you go. I'll even have the charge lifted. But, if I win, you give me the drop sites. Even if he doesn't go there anymore, he might have agents in those areas."

"You'll cheat." Seraph said.

"You have my word." I said. "Plus, it's the best option you have. And, it's the _only _option you have."

Seraph was quiet for a bit, then he rose to his feet. He cracked his own knuckles, then his neck. He dropped into a standard fighting stance and his face changed from uncompliant to battle-ready.

"Good choice." I said, falling into my own stance. _Let's see what you're made of, Seraph._

Seraph moved immediately, lunging forward with his right fist closed. The distance closed was impressive, but I sidestepped the punch and threw my elbow towards his face. Surprisingly, he titled his body slightly and my attack grazed his shoulder.

He kicked his leg out to trip mine and shoved me backwards with a huff. I regained my footing and leapt at him, throwing punch after punch, which he blocked with apparent ease. I feinted an uppercut and he fell for it, getting socked in the gut as my left hand delivered a massive blow.

"Quick." I said, "But, not quick enough."

Seraph groaned for a moment, then threw the back of his fist to the side, nailing me in the jaw, sending me spiraling to the wall. With almost no time to react, he threw another punch, this time to my shoulder, popping the bone sharply.

Painful, but it was something I had endured before.

I cried out for a moment before throwing a knife hand to his neck. While he was trying to regain his composure, I threw my head forward, head-butting him like a champ. He reached for his head as he kicked his leg out, striking the wall as I rolled away.

He had been given significant training, it was apparent. His stance suggested that it was someone outside of the syndicate that had given him these moves. He had gone to a dojo in the underground levels of Coruscant for the most part, but I had been there as well and they didn't teach such stances.

His wasn't completely blocked off. The stance taught by the dojo didn't have many openings; however, there was room for movement. This stance was almost flawless, even when he was hurt.

I swung my leg down, knocking his out from under him. He fell to the floor, knocking his head against the ground and groaned loudly, arching his back in pain.

I put a foot down against his chest with a smile, "That was good."

Seraph gave a shout and kicked his leg to strike my lower back, pushing me off his body completely.

"You talk too much!" He got to his feet in an instant and continued his assault, taking quick jabs at my face and torso.

I spun around one of his attacks and drove my elbow into the nape of his neck, then giving a quick roundhouse kick to his ribs. He flew to the side of the room, landing on top of the metal table I had moved. He shifted then crouched.

He leapt at me one last time, but I kicked my leg out, pushing his chest inward as he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.

"You've got to be kidding me." Seraph rasped.

I cracked a smile, "Not."

Seraph rolled onto his front, slowly getting to his feet, "I thought you were just a lightsaber and a face."

Using the Force, I pulled my sabers to my belt, "Now, it's _you _who don't know _my _past. You'd be surprised at who taught me."

"Who?"

"If I told you, then I would lose the advantage." I said, then hardened my tone, "Time to pay the piper, Seraph."

Seraph scoffed, then groaned as he leaned against the nearest wall, "Nal Hutta."

"The Hutt home planet?" I asked. "You're sure?"

Seraph glared at me, "I'm more than sure. The drop off point was ten clicks away from an old battle ground near one of the three streams leading to the palace. It's out of the way and inconspicuous." He rubbed his neck, "You should have no problem getting there."

"You mean _we._" I said, cracking a smirk. "You're coming with me, Seraph."

Seraph's face turned red with anger, "That wasn't the deal!"

"I'm altering the deal." I said, "Pray I don't alter it further."

"Your kind are lying pieces of shit, you know?" Seraph spat, his body stance indicating he wanted to take another swing at me, but lacked the proper reserves of strength to do so.

"This is purely tactical, Seraph." I said, pulling my robe back around me, "I'm mostly sure that not all of his lackeys know of your betrayal, but it will circulate at some time. However, that small window is what we will be operating on. His agents will know of you and you will get me into the fray."

"Are you insane?" Seraph shouted. "We don't even have anything trade! They will shoot anyone, despite their ranking in the syndicate, if you come empty handed!"

"So, we will use the spice." I pulled my wrist-pad back on, "It isn't that difficult to get access to it. The spice will come back to Lyle, and then I can take him down."

"He is always surrounded by his inner circle." Seraph shuddered, "I don't care how good you think you are, or how good you actually are. You won't get close enough to shake his hand! You can forget about arresting him!"

I shrugged, "That just makes me want to try it all the more."

"I'm not coming." Seraph said. "I would rather be in jail for life than get killed."

I crossed my arms. There were times that I was glad that the last ten years had happened. Not only did I have friends everywhere, but I also had power everywhere. Most people would go power hungry, but, when you have a family, there is no room for that. It isn't even a thought.

But, that power came in handy when you needed it.

"If you can help me capture Murton Lyle, then I will have your sentence thrown out the window." I said confidently.

_His jaw loosens. His facial heat lowers. His muscles become less tense. His stance changes to one of piqued interest. _

"You can do that?" Seraph raised an eyebrow, moving his glasses up a smidge.

I nodded, "My good friend is the Chancellor of the Republic. I can basically do anything. But, yes, I can get the charge dropped." I held out my hand, "Deal?"

Seraph looked at the hand, then frowned hard at me, "I want it in writing."

"What?"

"I want the deal in writing from the Senate office." Seraph repeated. "Then, we have a deal."

I lowered my hand just as Kink deactivated the shields, a water jug in his hand. I turned to him, "We're done here. Leave the water with him." Kink nodded and placed the water on the table, slightly noting that it wasn't against the wall when he left.

Kink exited the room and I followed, but before I completely left the room, I turned my head back, "I'll be back tomorrow. Be ready."

Seraph gave a sarcastic salute, "Aye, aye, captain."

The laser wall activated behind me and I walked down the hall to the desk again. Kink gave me a look, then smirked. He nudged me with his elbow, then broke out into a full-blown laugh.

"How bad?" He laughed.

I smirked, "He's a dick." I shrugged slightly, "But, he's useful. I'm on a trip tomorrow. Kink, tell the RIA that I've got a lead and I'll be taking a small team to investigate and _no _I don't want any of his men."

Maya Shade looked up from her computer, "That's not procedure."

I snapped my fingers, "You'll see soon enough that I _don't _do procedure. I do things my way."

"Dangerous." Maya muttered. "Maybe even idiotic."

I gave her a look, then realized that the tattoo she was wearing was the black sparrow. It symbolized death. My gaze then drifted to her earrings: black pearls. They weren't cheap. In fact, they ran for about two_ thousand _credits a piece. As an agent, there was no way she was parading around wearing those. She obviously was familiar with Coruscant, so she knew the dangers of wearing something so flashy. Even at work, the people she was around, the things she came into contact with, the people from outside the job, that should have thrown up a warning sign.

But, it was only me that saw it.

The black sparrow symbolized sorrow as well.

I tore my gaze from the tattoo and met her now piercing gaze. Crystal blue eyes that, in fact, were like shattered glass.

The Force whispered a slight warning to me. Involuntarily, my hand went to my lightsaber. It rested on the sleek middle section.

"Miss Shade." I said carefully, "Why did they send you to cover for Agent Drawg?"

"They had to send someone and I was done with my assignments for the week." Maya said nonchalantly.

"What division are you normally in?" I asked.

"I'm in the chemical division." She said. "But, I'm no stranger to having to deal with ruffians…or their paperwork."

I reached out with the Force and touched her mind ever so gently. At first, nothing but work-related stuff. I wasn't trying to reach deep within her subconscious, but it felt like it was trying to interact with me on purpose.

Then, I felt it: dark intention.

I unclicked my saber from my belt and held it downward, "You know, I can sense lies. Also, I can sense intentions. And, you have something dark in your head, Miss Shade."

Maya's face shifted to annoyance, "It's because I've been having thoughts of killing my competition for the place as Lead in my department." She grumbled, "I wouldn't do it of course."

I hooked my saber back to my belt, "Murder is murder. Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't." She frowned. "I'm much smarter than that, Master Jedi."

I nodded and walked off, heading towards the exit. Perhaps that was just what I sensed. She hated someone. That darkness felt just like that, but, then again, I had been wrong before.

I just hoped that I didn't make an error in judgement.


	2. C2: No Rest for the Weary

C.2

**No Rest for the Weary**

I walked into the apartment and immediately went for the couch. I plopped down and spread my body over the soft cushions, burying my face in the pillows. Seconds later, I felt a shift in the Force, and I cast a look behind me.

Ahsoka Tano had always been one for the dramatics, but there she stood with a giant smile on her face. She reached down to the hem of her tunic and pulled it off, leaving her white undershirt tucked into her leggings.

She unbuckled her belt and tossed it over to the side. She sauntered over and promptly sat on the small of my back, leaning her face down to caress it against mine. Her warm cheek met mine and she let out a small hum of comfort.

"Hey, love." She hummed. "I dropped off Mara, Max, and Lexiah at the Skywalkers. They were having a giant movie night and I thought we could use the alone time."

I smiled, "Sounds wonderful." I mumbled. "I got a new lead on the Murton Lyle assignment."

Ahsoka nestled my cheek again, "Something solid finally?"

I nodded, "I leave tomorrow with someone who can lead me to the shipment dropsites. From there I can backtrack and get them to lead me to Lyle."

Ahsoka hopped off of my back and knelt on the floor near my face, "How are you going to proceed?"

I shrugged, "I need to keep the team small, so I was thinking of taking someone else with me. Two is better than one."

"Clones?" Ahsoka asked.

I shook my head, "I was thinking about you if you're up for it."

"What kind of partner would I be if I didn't come along?" Ahsoka said in a playful tone.

"A sucky one." I chuckled, pushing myself onto my forearms. "We should leave around eight or so tomorrow. We want to get ahead of this."

Ahsoka smiled, "Anakin won't be too happy handling _five _kids."

I cracked a smirk, "Remember when we took care of all five of them when they went on a week-long trip? Yeah, he owes me."

Ahsoka tilted her head, "You're right." She reached a hand up to my face, "But, what do you want to do since we have the night off?"

Immediately at her touch, I felt a jolt of electricity run under my skin. It never got old. The feeling was always new. It was always powerful. And, it always had to be satisfied.

"I can think of a good way for some of it." I said, my voice lowering.

Ahsoka's eyes flooded suddenly with the desire she was holding back. The blue color of her irises sharpened and she nodded, leaning forward and kissing me roughly, grabbing my face in her hands as I got to a sitting position.

She straddled my waist quickly, then pulled back from the kiss, "Good idea."

The doorbell to the front door promptly rang a few seconds after, enticing me to groan loudly. I ran my hands through my hair as Ahsoka hopped off, tapping me on the nose in playfulness. That was her way of saying we had plenty of time.

And, to not be rude.

I gave her a look, then I pushed her a bit with the Force while walking to the door.

Before I could open it up fully, a young man pushed through the door, stumbling a bit before he righted himself inside the room. He was a tall fellow, a couple of inches taller than I was, with brown hair pulled into a pony tail at the back of his head. At his left hip rested a DL-14 blaster pistol and at his right hip was a lightsaber. His outfit was something simple, a mustard yellow and gray combat top with gray pants. Covering his left shoulder was a dome of copper-colored metal for some type of protection.

I opened my mouth, "Yeah, sure, come on in."

Ahsoka's eyes widened, "Caleb!"

"Caleb Dume?" I raised an eyebrow towards her. "The Padawan from the Temple Raid?"

Ahsoka nodded, seeing the distressed look on the Jedi's face just as I did. She reached forward, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Caleb."

Caleb looked up into her eyes, "Master Marko." He realized who he pushed by apparently and turned quickly to me, "I'm so sorry, Master Marko!" He bowed promptly, "I didn't realize!"

I nodded towards him, then gave a disarming smile, "It's all good, Caleb. What's wrong? You seem in a rush."

Caleb's face whitened and he nodded quickly, "My friend, Hera. She's been kidnapped. They took her, Master."

Ahsoka passed me a glance, then squeezed his shoulder slightly. Torgruta's were able to sense emotions far better than a lot of species in the galaxy. Their lekku and montrals were hypersensitive to emotions when they focused on them. When amplified by the Force, they were able to discern details without even entering the person's mind.

"Did you see it happen?" Ahsoka asked.

Caleb nodded, "We were on our way to one of the offices of relief aid when our speeder was attacked. We crashed on a landing pad. They knocked me out and, when I woke up, she was gone."

"What were you carrying?" I asked. "They wouldn't just take her for the fun of it. Unless, they were psychopaths. Did you get a good look at them?"

Caleb shook his head, "All I saw was their symbol. It was a group. It was the Black Sun."

I thought back to Seraph. There was no way he was in on the attack, but it was a bit coincidental how I had just met with the man a few hours before and now a convoy with a _Jedi_ was attacked.

"Your friend, Hera." I said. "What was she doing here? Is she part of the RIA or ISR?"

"No." Caleb said, "Her father, Cham Syndulla, sent her to Coruscant to help with relief for the Twi'lek sector of the left quadrant. I agreed to go with her because I hadn't seen her in a while, and Master Bilaba authorized it. She should have been safe."

"What was she carrying?" Ahsoka asked.

"We were transporting several cases of rations." Caleb said, his voice was distant. He sounded like he was trying to figure out reasons for himself. "We shouldn't have been attacked. Especially, for a few packets of rations."

Ahsoka frowned slightly, "You're right. They wouldn't. Unless, that wasn't all you were transporting."

Caleb looked up at Ahsoka, "What do you mean?"

I stepped in, closing the distance and leaning towards Caleb a bit to get my point across, "Cham works with the Republic to serve Twi'lek colonies all around the galaxy. He does a bunch of big operations. There is no way he sent his _daughter _here for _rations._" I hummed to myself to a moment, then continued, "You said the left quadrant. There is a cargo service that way. A private one. Maybe, Cham had something else in mind."

"Like what?"

Ahsoka jumped in, "The rations cases might have something much more valuable. They could contain something experimental, or they might contain credit chips for specific Twi'lek families. Cham is a good leader, but he's also a good business man. He humbled himself to be a servant so he gives what he makes to others across the galaxy. But, he wouldn't send just anyone _alone _to Coruscant. He only trusted his daughter for the mission. If she was going to go to the cargo company, she could have the funds privately dispersed to different planets all around the inner rim."

Caleb seemed to understand, then lowered his head, "That doesn't help us find them."

Again, I thought back to Seraph. He was in the Black Sun for deliveries and duties, but I would have bet my ship that he had been sent to Coruscant for a few of those runs. That meant he might have known some hideouts where they would have taken Hera.

However, I knew she didn't have long. The Black Sun were greedy criminals. If they didn't get what they wanted, they would get rid of the dead weight. Or, if they got exactly what they wanted, they would make an example of the dead weight. Both sides were gruesome, but they had so much pull in the underworld around the galaxy that it didn't matter to any form of government. There were too many of them. Everybody would know what they had done.

Word would get around fast, Ahsoka and I knew. The timeframe we had been given was short. Hera would either be alive in the next twelve hours or dead.

I leaned back, taking a deep breath, "We need to move. Now. There is a man in the prison I need to talk to. He might be able to help locate where Hera is being held."

"Will she even be alive?" Caleb said. "They have what they want."

Ahsoka started, "They need to plan where they would dump her body if they killed her. That gives us a bit of time." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her communicator, "I'll let Quandra know to send patrolling squads throughout the left quadrant until we have located where they have Hera."

Caleb looked up, hope in his eyes, "Thank you, Master."

Ahsoka gave him a quick hug, then leaned back, "No thanks necessary, Caleb." She nodded to me with a cocky smile, "He's the one that's hard to convince."

I shook my head, then put my fist up towards the Padawan, "It's no problem. Let's go save, Hera."

Caleb Dume smiled wide. He had gone through the Shadow War and had become much stronger due to it. He was a Padawan but he was due for the Trial at any point now. He was a year or two younger than I was, but his spirit was strong. The capture of Hera Sydulla was hitting him hard, but that was due to his feelings for her.

I could see it just as Ahsoka could see it.

Caleb fist bumped the hand and nodded, "Let's rock."

* * *

There were some people in the galaxy that were just born evil. They had been put into the world in a hostile environment, negatively impacting them from the get-go. Their first cognitive thoughts weren't simple, they were destructively complex, setting for a precedent for how they would carry out their lives.

Seraph Ungoli wasn't one of those people.

So, when I walked back into his cell, there wasn't malice on his face first off. He was questioning my presence.

I gave him a nod, "I've got another proposition for you." I said, pulling out a datapad from behind my back, "There is a Black Sun base here on Coruscant in the left quadrant. I need you to tell me where it is, specifically." I opened the datapad and scrolled to the next page, showing his wanted poster and the ten thousand credit bounty. "If you do that then I'll submit the reward into unmarked credits for you to have."

Seraph raised his eyebrow, "Why?"

I placed the datapad on the table in front of me, then I tapped my wrist-pad, an image of Hera Syndulla popping up, "She's been taken by the Black Sun the exact _day _that I question you." I narrowed my eyes slightly, "I'm not saying it was you, but I'm saying you need to help me."

Seraph's eyes softened, "Why was she taken?"

"I'm thinking she was carrying credit capsules containing thousands of credits each." I said, "Her father normally sends someone with the capsules to Twi'lek villages to help them. This time, he sent his daughter. And, this time, it went awry."

Seraph sighed and leaned forward, his hands clasped together. He moved closer into the light and I saw the perspiration on his forehead. He didn't seem nervous, but he was thinking about something that was causing him discomfort.

"She'll be dead soon enough." Seraph said. "They won't keep her."

I frowned, my heartbeat quickening. There was something about someone giving up without even trying that made my blood boil. I jabbed a finger at him, "That's why you're gonna tell me exactly where it is. I'll send a full rescue team after her."

Seraph's eyes turned rough, "They will see you coming." He said. "Tell me, Marko, how bad would you feel if she was killed _slower _because of what you've done?"

I tried to keep my cool, but it didn't work. Using the Force, I curled my hand and Seraph flew across the room, slamming his back up against the wall. He slumped down, then looked up as I walked over to him.

"That won't happen." I said, unclipping one of my lightsabers, "But, now, you're gonna _take _me there."

Seraph's eyes were glued to my saber. Then, he looked into my eyes, "You're a Jedi. I'm sure what you just did is against your code."

I pulled him to his feet with the Force and ignited the blue blade, holding is at my side, "I'm no ordinary Jedi, Ungoli." With a quick slash, I cut through his restraints, then returned my weapon to my waist, "Now, let's go."

"Fine." He mumbled, walking forward, "You weren't going to kill me if I said no, were you?"

"No." I said, then smirked, "But, you might have lost a finger or toe."

"That's torture!" Seraph yelled.

I laughed a bit, shoving him forward, "Chill. Move."

* * *

The airspace heading to our target was very empty, I noticed. But, nonetheless, I listened as Commander Turbo started to speak.

"We are coming up on the left quadrant, General." Turbo said, pulling up a holo-map of the surrounding areas. Then, he tapped on a lone shop connected to the side of the building. The image blew up and he jabbed a finger at the blinking red entrances, "The obvious ways in are the front and back doors, but, from Seraph's information, we have determined that there must be a third entrance connected to this building across the street." He pointed to another building.

It was short and stout and had a sign for antiquities. It was obviously a front, but the building's structure suggested that it had been standing for far longer than originally thought.

I peered down at the map that Turbo held and turned to Seraph, "Are you sure?"

Seraph nodded, "There is an underground tunnel that connects the two buildings. There are a bunch of rooms that spread throughout the tunnels. You could definitely hold someone in there."

Ahsoka pushed the image outward, then zoomed in on the floor vents, "We can breach through there. Let's try to be quiet."

I cast a look at Caleb, "Remember: they have Hera. They can kill her the moment they see us. We have to be very careful."

Caleb looked shocked, then his face hardened. I could see his fist clench at his side, then it rested near his lightsaber, "I know." He took a deep breath, "I know, Master."

The gunship shuttered a bit before we started to descend. It would be a minute before we landed, so I turned to the rest of the squad. In total, there were seven people on this mission: myself, Seraph, Ahsoka, Caleb, Turbo, Kink, and Wingman.

Wingman cocked his DC-15 blaster rifle and gave a chuckle, "I've been dying to shoot something."

I smirked, "Only shoot when you have to."

"Aw don't kill the fun, sir!" Kink laughed, pushing on my shoulder.

"First priority is Hera." I said. "If they try to follow us then have at it. We'll need the cover."

"How many do you think we will have?" Turbo, my clone commander asked, clenching his mechanical hand around the barrel of his gun.

Seraph stepped in, "Last time I was there, there were about thirty members. If they see us too soon, we could have quite a fight on our hands."

I scoffed, thinking back to all the battles I had been a part of for the last ten years, "Perhaps for anyone else. Thirty guys are no problem for us."

Seraph blinked, "They have state of the art weaponry. They could have rocket launchers with ion stabilizers."

This time, Ahsoka joined in, "Seraph," she said, "you don't need to worry about anything they have for us."

Seraph grumbled, "I'm staying in the back then."

I nodded, "You do that." My green eyes flicked to the young Jedi in the room, "Caleb will lead. He knows how Hera feels in the Force. He is the best one to track her."

Turbo knocked his elbow against Caleb's shoulder with a chuckle, "Just think with what's _above _the belt."

Caleb's face turned bright red and he shouted, "What?! Why would you say that?!"

In that moment, I reached into the Force and felt the shift. We were still descending, but now there was something else in the mix. There was a dark presence.

I turned to Ahsoka and she caught my glance. I could feel her recognition through the Force. I peered out one of the side slits of the gunship and I saw a small shine off the corner of the street.

The street was very much empty. In fact, there wasn't a single soul to be seen. I could feel anything either, except something that had just appeared. The exact moment I saw the spark on the street corner, I knew what it was.

I looked up towards the cockpit, "We got a rocket incoming!"

A small explosion shook through the air, followed by a whistle. I peered out through the slit again, seeing the rocket in question soaring at the gunship, smoke billowing behind it. At the speed it was going, there were only a few seconds before it hit the side of the craft.

Thinking quickly, I threw out my hand pushing the gunship to the side, letting the rocket strike one of the wings instead of the door.

I reached up and grabbed a support handle, "Brace for impact!" I shouted.

The gunship spiraled downward until it slammed against the ground. Even with all my power, all my knowledge, and all my wit, I wasn't able to stand the impact and I felt darkness take over my senses.


	3. C3: Dark Journey's Conclusion

C. 3

**Dark Journey's Conclusion**

"We can't keep him here!"

"Are you serious? Of course, we can."

"That's Blaze Marko! He has literally pulled star cruisers out of the sky! When he wakes up, he's gonna kill us all."

"That's why we hooked the others up to the core."

"If we piss him off, he could kill us regardless."

"We have his wife. That's all we need. He won't endanger her."

"I don't like this, Madam."

"That's why you aren't in charge, Cyrus."

"I can't believe we even shot his ship down. How did you know he was going to try to get the Twi'lek back?"

"This Jedi is bound by his sense to do good. Hera Syndulla is a prisoner who shouldn't be here. I know that. However, Marko knows that too. I knew he would attempt a rescue as soon as possible."

"How did he find out we have her?"

"Caleb Dume."

"The Padawan she was with?"

"Precisely. I let him go so he would seek out Marko."

"This was all your plan? You instigated all of this? For what? The credits?"

"No. For Marko."

"You want Marko? Why?"

"He is the most powerful Force user I have ever seen. I've been around for a long time and he has surpassed everybody."

"Just how old could you be, Madam?"

"You wouldn't believe a word of it, Cyrus. All you need to know is that Darth Revan would be proud."

That was enough.

I opened my eyes slowly, and eyed my target. To my utter shock, a familiar face appeared. The blonde hair was a giveaway, but the eyes struck home.

I groaned, my head spinning a bit, "Of course. I get a feeling, deny it, and now it comes back to haunt me." I tried to move my arms, finding them pinned above my head and bound by energy restraints. "Great." I turned back to the woman, "Miss Maya."

"Madam Shade." She said, ushering the man she called Cyrus away, "And, this is the only flaw I have found in you, Marko: obliviousness."

I shrugged, "I've gotten that before." I wiggled my wrists, "So, you were working with the Black Sun all along huh?"

"They fund my research for my experiments." She smirked evilly, "And, my magic."

"Your magic?" I raised an eyebrow, "Like the Nightsisters?"

Shade gave a shrill laugh that didn't belong to her voice. When she was done, she gave a funny look, "The Nightsisters only figured out the beginning of what their magic could offer them. I have torn beyond that plane and reached new heights."

Honestly, I couldn't have cared less for what she was going on about. The only thing I cared about was stalling until I figured out a way to get out of my restraints. Since they were energy restraints, they probably had a centralized power source. Ripping straight out of them was difficult even for someone such as I.

Then, I remembered what Cyrus had said.

I smirked at her, "You weren't very nice to Cyrus. He was trying to tell you not to underestimate me."

Madam Shade smiled, her dark eye make-up becoming more visible as she stalked towards me. She knelt down and held a finger under my chin.

Uncomfortable, I darted my eyes from right to left, "Uh, personal space?"

"My dear," She nearly whispered, "I promise not to underestimate you. I have watched you for a long time. Your power is great, magnificent even. That's why I wish to study you."

"I'm gonna have to take a pass on that."

Madam Shade got to her feet, "If that's your choice, then your friends will meet their end due to you being uncooperative."

"You're jumping from one to a hundred very quickly, don't you think?" I asked, not feeling the least bit threatened. I glanced over to the side where there was a glass room filled with everybody's weapons. My sabers lay in the center of table in the middle of the room.

I nudged my elbow and they flew towards the window, igniting, ready to slash the glass to pieces. However, when they came into contact with the crystalline wall, they deactivated and fell to the ground, my hold on them with the Force disappearing.

Madam Shade turned to them and laughed, "Oh, I thought you might try something like that. Predictability. Another flaw."

I frowned, "You seem to have thought of everything." I concentrated, the Force swirling around my being. The cold air of energy circulated throughout my body, causing me to smile wide.

Madam Shade caught my smile, "Oh, what is that for, Master Jedi?"

Her voice was now smooth as velvet. If I didn't know her already, I would have thought she actually cared. That just showed how much she was devoted to getting what she wanted.

There was no false sense of security for me.

But, I was sure she already knew that.

"Well," I said, focusing my energy now on the glass room. Obviously, the room itself had some type of effect on the Force, but the outside of the room did not, "smiling sends dopamine to the brain and helps your mood."

"Need a pick-me-up?" She cooed. "Then, help me. Your wife will help you."

_Her face is impassive. Her attitude is kind, deceiving, and confident. She feels she is in control. There is no doubt in her mind. _

"Why do you want me?" I asked, feeling my curiosity get the best of me.

Madam Shade stood straight, her eyes looking down at me. They seemed to change. The blue eyes seemed to darken a bit, turning to a shade of purple, almost lavender.

"You can call me a sort of scientist." She said, "And, experiments are my favorite thing to do to pass the time."

"I'm not the best guinea pig." I chuckled, thinking of myself on a spinning wheel. "Not a pretty picture."

"I think it's a gorgeous illustration." Madam Shade said, "Your affinity to the Force is something I haven't seen since Darth Revan. But, even then, I feel your power even surpasses him in terms of raw potential."

That caught my attention.

"Revan?" I echoed, keeping my concentration of the Force on the outside of the glass, but letting it hang there. "You knew Revan?"

There was a twinkle in her eye, "_Know_. If you know the stories, Revan was captured by the Sith Emperor, Vitiate, for years and years and years. However, he was never confirmed dead. And, I think I might know where he resides in stasis."

"I don't believe you." I said quickly, but the pit in my stomach made me think twice. What she was talking about was something I learned years ago in my childhood, but I thought nothing of it till now. It had been thousands of years since the time of Revan.

There was no way could've been in stasis the whole time.

However, the Old Republic was a time full of secrets. The Jedi were many, and the Sith were many. The Force was in chaos. Revan was a balance between the Light and the Dark, which might have caused him to even survive a full-frontal assault from the Dark Side.

_But, where would he be? _I thought.

Madam Shade smiled wide, "You don't have to believe me. Even if I said that the Star Forge was never destroyed, you don't have to believe a word of it."

The Star Forge was a massive space station that had the capability to endlessly produce droid armies through the power of the Force. And, one of the only people to ever be able to activate the station was Revan. The Star Forge met its end thousands of years ago when the Republic destroyed the Forge to prevent an evil army from being released into the galaxy.

"The Star Forge was destroyed." I said firmly, "And, even if it was still around, why hasn't it been used since then? Someone else would have found it by now."

"That's what I have been searching for. For almost four thousand years I have been looking for it." Her voice was prideful, "I've finally found it."

"Okay. So, you've found it." I said, rolling my eyes and taking what she said with a grain of salt, "Why do you need me?"

"The Force is the only thing that can activate the station." Shade said. "If I can strip the Force from you and use it to revive Revan, then he can activate the station. And, even if he isn't there, your power can activate the Forge's constructive capabilities. I can have an army to further my research. Not to mention its…_other _uses."

"You mean to take over planets and enforce your rule as you take what you want." I spit, my heart jumping in anger. "You're nothing but a psychotic woman who is willing to break the laws of the Force to get what you want."

Shade was silent for a minute, then she spoke, "You don't seem surprised that I said I could strip you of your power in the Force. Why?"

I rolled my eyes at her, "I've seen it done before by certain groups during the last ten years. However, I won't be a pawn in _your _game."

Shade moved over to a control panel near the side of the room. She hit a few keys before a holographic image popped up. In a translucent blue glow, Murton Lyle appeared before her. His attention shifted to me and he seemed to smile underneath his thick mustache.

I frowned, "Of course. Now it makes sense. Lyle hadn't surfaced in a long time, then he suddenly pops up on our radar. I should have seen the connection. This was all a ploy in order to make sure that I would follow your trail."

Shade laughed, "Finally! The Master figures out the puzzle."

Feeling my annoyance spark, I snapped at her, "I don't think that _every _problem revolves around me!"

Shade gave a small smile, fingering the bracelets around her wrists slightly, "But, the one time it does, you didn't make the connection."

"My bad." I said, then turned my gaze to Lyle, "You've got me, Lyle. You don't need the others. Let them go."

_"__Do you think I'm a fool, Marko." _Lyle said. _"They will be a testimony to what will happen to those who cross me."_

Shade held a hand up, "They won't be harmed." She contradicted Lyle, to his surprise, "The foolhardy move would be to harm anyone that Marko holds dear to his heart."

I paused my thoughts. I glanced around the room, my eyes darting from place to place. Then, I turned back to Shade. She crossed her arms, then gave a small hand gesture.

She knew how much I cared for Ahsoka, how much I cared for my team, and how much I cared for a peaceful resolution. I didn't want to thank her because she was sparing Ahsoka. I knew that the only reason was because she knows I would break out and kill everyone.

She didn't want to die.

She needed to continue her experiments. She needed to find the Forge.

"I think that's the smartest decision you will make today." I smirked, letting the Force start to compact over by the glass room where my lightsabers were. At any time, I could blow the glass to pieces and retain my sabers, but something was holding me back.

It was a small feeling. It was a feeling of dread. It was a warning in the back of my mind where only the best of knowledge and thoughts were kept. A feeling that I trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Shade suddenly pulled a remote from her pocket. It was a small, rectangular piece of metal with a few buttons that were clustered near the top, where a red light flashed. She clicked a button, and my restraints tightened slightly, then sent an electric shock through my body.

I groaned as blue electricity surged all around my body, popping against my skin. The pain suddenly ended when the stream was cut, but smoke was rising from my tunic.

I took a deep breath, "That seemed unnecessary."

She sent another shock, this time longer, through the restraints. After a prolonged time, I groaned loudly as the lightning scrambled through my system. My muscles started to twitch and spasm, and then she stopped.

"Anything else to say?" Shade spit.

I dropped my head, blinked my eyes a few times, then faced her, "You're just digging yourself a bigger hole."

From his hologram, Lyle just smiled. He was enjoying my torture. That much I knew. But, there was something off about his hologram. It was far too clear. If he was on a different planet, there would be some pauses between the streaming. However, none was present.

I looked over to the side and closed my eyes, reaching out with the Force. My presence traveled faster than the blink of an eye and searched the entire compound, a mental blueprint imprinting behind my eyes.

After a few seconds, there was another signature found within the building. There were no guarantees, but it was possible.

My focus shifted back on Shade, "You really should bet better at your job, Shade." I reached into the Force and covered the back of my head in a layer of energy, "Sometimes, you just might make mistakes."

Shade's eyes widened as her wrist-pad started to beep rapidly, a warning screaming out "Escaped".

Ahsoka and I had always been in sync with each other. Our movements, our powers, our hearts moved as one. And, sometimes, getting out of a situation happened for us at the same time.

I slammed my head backwards, coated in a small Force shield, the metal casing holding my restraints together snapping neatly in two. I jumped to my feet, using the Force to augment my physical prowess and I yanked my wrists apart, cuffs falling to the floor.

I twitched my cheek and the glass room to my right exploded. Glass shards dropped to the ground, reflecting the light of my sabers as the flew through the air and into my hands.

Two of Shade's Black Sun members rounded the corner moments later, their weapons up to fire. They fired off a few shots before their bolts were reflected back at them, striking them in the head and in the chest. The bodies fell to the floor as I pointed my black saber at Shade.

"Well, Madam, it seems that you _did _make such a mistake." I said cockily, "You should have listened to that guy talking earlier. After all, I _am _Blaze Marko."

Shade, despite being outmatched, merely shrugged her shoulders. Her attitude reflected that of someone who was in control of the situation without even trying. Her breathing was controlled, just as well as her posture.

She raised a hand, her writ-pad lighting up red. Suddenly, a tube of blue liquid rose from the ground behind her. Within the liquid rested a body, encased in thin metal with the design of a warrior.

"Forgive me if I do not fight you." Shade said, tapping her wrist, the light turning from red to blue as the liquid drained from tube. Wires became visible just before the snapped off and the body dropped to the floor, landing in a heap.

Shade ran a single finger down her wrist, and the light turned green. The body on the ground suddenly twitched, then stood to its feet, revealing the face of an enemy long thought dead. His body was different, but his face was the same as when he was an organic being.

A Kaleesh.

"Grievous!" I exclaimed, tensing up. "I thought he would be dead by now."

His body was no longer what I remembered. I remembered a spiny, clawed figure with four arms and a mask that resembled a warrior's Kaleesh mask. However, now, his metal turned an ashy gray and was much thinner. He almost looked like a spider. His arms were split into four, holding four separate lightsabers, still inactive. His facemask stayed the same, but there were no eyes where his eye-holes were. Then, instead of golden eyes appearing, red pupils popped into existence.

He took one step towards me, but he halted. Shade looked confused and hit her wrist-pad again, and Grievous took another step, but again he stopped. His gaze never lifted from mine and I felt something stirring in air.

"What did you _do _to him?"

Shade smiled wide when Grevious moved forward again, "Made him stronger. When I found him, he was nearly dead. His organs were failing from multiple blaster wounds. In fact, most of his consciousness was gone when I found him. He's mostly a new consciousness mixed with preprogrammed attack algorithms."

Suddenly, all four lightsabers the new Grevious was holding ignited, crimson blades protruding out of each one. All four hands started spinning, something I was all too familiar with. That accompanied with a high-pitched whine of his servo motors threw my mind into a flashback.

I remembered a time when Grevious was one of my most deadly adversaries. When his fleet would come into view, a furious battle would always start. When I first met him, I felt like he would be little to no problem. Soon, I found out that I had to change my view on the cyborg general. He was much stronger and more skilled than I had previously envisioned him to be. Then again, I was just a young Padawan back then.

Confidence was my most prominent call-sign.

But, now, Grevious was something else. So, again, I had to change my opinion. I had to change my outlook. The old Grevious wouldn't have been a problem _now_, but _this _one would be harder to figure out.

"So, he doesn't remember me?" I asked, actually curious.

Shade shook her head, "Whatever is left of the old general is buried deep within his mind. His brain isn't dead, but I control what is left. I kept his rage against the Jedi intact."

"Lucky me." I said, taking a step back as the blades neared, "At least he isn't calling me a boy anymore." I smirked, "Also, I'm glad you're a scientist as well as a magician. That's gonna look so great in my report."

"Don't be so certain." Shade said, "Eliminate him, Grevious."

As Grevious took a few steps toward me, I readied myself by pointing my blades outwards to catch his in a stabbing clash. The engagement was short lived as he broke the lock, rushing his shoulder forward, ramming into my gut and sending me flying backwards.

I landed on my side, but kicked back up to my feet just in time to dodge a beheading slice from one of his sabers. Crimson filled my vision as I slid under his legs, slashing my black blade backwards to cut across his back, burning into his metal body.

Releasing two fingers off my hilt, I sent the rebuilt cyborg over to the nearby wall. He howled in anger as he removed himself, crouching onto the ground.

He held a sabered hand up, then dropped his weapon. His arm suddenly morphed, the metal caving in on itself and forming into something else: a gun.

It was normal to expect a laser bolt, but it wasn't normal to expect a blast of wind that threw my sabers from my hands. They flew into the open space in front of Shade, and she promptly picked them up and threw them over to the nearest tube, which closed up with glass seconds later.

"Oh, how nice of you." I said, sensing someone oh-so-familiar showing up. "But, you've just screwed yourself."

"What?"

"Ahsoka!" I yelled, leaping over Grevious as he rushed me again.

Ahsoka appeared from around the corner of the lab, throwing her long green blade at me. I caught it and dashed forward, stabbing into Grevious' darkened chest, smirking as the blade tore clean through him.

Then, there was silence.

Then, there was laughter.

Grevious was laughing.

With a rough grip, he grabbed me by the neck and launched me backwards, my back slapping against the ground roughly.

"Cute." Shade said, then frowned hard as the rest of the group showed up, including Hera.

I threw Ahsoka her saber back, then pulled one of Grevious's red blades to me with the Force. The red blade illuminated my face as I dropped into another fighting stance, "So, tell me, is that even Grevious?"

"What do you mean?"

I frowned, "There is only one person I know that has that ability, and he was killed a long time ago: Durge."

Shade shook her head, "No. It _is _Grevious, but there were other cells from other donors."

"Donors." I scoffed, "You used Durge's cells to recreate his healing factor. You've only made Grevious even more organic than he once was. You might have taken most of his consciousness away, but there is still that Kaleesh warrior fighting it down in there."

Shade let loose a laugh, tapping her wrist pad again. Beside her, another tube appeared. It swung open as the liquid drained away, and out stepped another copy of Grevious, four lightsabers in its hands as well.

"You mistake me." Shade said, holding her arms open as more tubes appeared and more Grevious clones appeared, all of them ready to fight. "Not even Grevious can fight my programming. Any of him can't."

I frowned as Ahsoka and Caleb jumped over to my side, their sabers at the ready. There was no doubt in my mind that they could hold their own, perhaps even win against the clones, but that wasn't the mission.

Casting a quick glance at Hera, I turned to Shade, "If you surrender now, Madam, then I promise you'll get a fair trial." In that instance, I realized that Seraph was nowhere to be seen. The clones were here, but Seraph wasn't.

I looked up as I saw a body move across the scaffold, metal clanging with each step he took. No one looked, however, but me.

In the back of my mind, something surfaced. Seraph's rap sheet came back to my head. Out of all of his offenses, something popped out in my head in that moment: a small explosion on Nar Shaddaa which he was acquitted of. There was speculation on that case, but there was no hard evidence that he was the bomber.

My gut told me he was a part of that bombing now.

Ahsoka nudged me, "There's a lot of them. I hope you have a plan."

Caleb nudged my other side, "She's right, Master Marko. What's the plan?"

I cast my eyes upward again, seeing the body, now identified as Seraph, placing small circular devices on the tubes that ran through the ceiling and through the walls.

I couldn't help the smirk that came to my face. I may have been a Master of the Force, but there were some things that people did that surprised me. Whether it was brave or stupid, Seraph was doing something spectacular.

Ahsoka caught my glance and nodded, "I see."

_"__Throw your lightsaber at one of them." _Her voice echoed in my head.

_"__Have I told you how much I love you?" _I reared my arm back, using the Force to increase my physical strength as I threw my saber forward, the blade spinning so fast through the air it was as if it was connected to a buzz-saw. The red blade soared towards one of the Grevious clones, but it deviated at the last second.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ahsoka's fingers move. The blade flew over to the tube containing _my _lightsabers. When the glass shattered, the hilts flew back into my hands and Ahsoka pushed her own palms forward, the liquid from the tubes that had leaked on the ground flew up into the air.

"Now!" She screamed upwards.

Explosions rocked the building right after. Fire and smoke filled the air as everyone fell to the floor as more and more bombs exploded from several places in the huge room. Glass and metal sprayed everywhere, but it wasn't enough to harm Seraph Ungoli. He leaped from the balcony he was perched on and rolled over to join the rest of the group, a blaster in hand.

Shade got to her feet, only to be struck a second later. It happened so suddenly, I gasped in shock. A long, sharp, metal pole ripped through her abdomen, nailing her into the ground, but she was still standing.

Her screams ripped through the air as another part of the facility went up in flames.

I cast a look to Turbo, "Lyle is here! Search the back half of the building! Hurry! This place could blow at any moment!"

A shard of metal soared through the air and sliced right past my arm, cutting my clothing but not my body. I threw a hand forward, the rubble stopping in mid-air and falling to the floor just as the Grevious clones rose to their feet.

I clenched a fist, lighting enveloping my fist until it was painful to hold it there. My heart sped up and I felt my energy drain a bit. I had to finish this quickly.

I dove forward, punching into a Grevious clone and watched as it was consumed by a vortex of lighting. Gray metal flashed red and orange as its consistency turned to a moldable clay as the heat from the attack consumed his entire body. Within seconds, his entire body melted away into a pile of blackened slag. His eyeballs stayed intact and rest just upon the top of the pile.

I proceeded to do that to each and every one of the clones until there was only one left. I let the lightning die away and I held my hand up to the last clone, "If you're in there Grevious, then show me!"

The Grevious in front of me did not say anything, but his eyes blinked once.

"If you're in there," I started, letting the lighting appear around my fist again, "then in regard to that last fight we had on your starship…" I reared my fist back, "…we finally found out the winner!"

I punched forward and, just as my fist was about to make contact, he spoke.

_"Korriban."_

I blinked a few times before realizing what he meant. With a smile, I nodded towards him, "Congratulations, General. I'm pardoning you from jail time."

Grevious blinked one last time in acknowledgment before I connected my attack, blasting the last body to oblivion. Another explosion shook the ground seconds after and I grabbed onto the wall as I turned to face Ahsoka, "Get out of here! I have one last thing to do!"

Ahsoka nodded, "Be careful, love!" She grabbed Caleb by the collar, then grabbed Hera and suddenly vanished from sight, dust left in her wake. It's time like that when I was glad she was learning more advanced Force techniques with me.

The heat of the room rose to a level to where it caused me to throw off my upper tunic, leaving me in my light gray undershirt. I clipped my sabers to my belt and walked over to the impaled Madam Shade. Blood ran all the way down the metal pole until it pooled into the floor.

I gave her a once over, "You could have avoided this, you know?"

"Spare me, Jedi." She coughed out more blood.

I dodged the spat and sighed, "And, to think, it was all in vain."

Her face turned pale, "What are you t-talking about?"

I gave her a thumb backward to the piles of slag that used to be Grevious, "Korriban. That meant something. If not the Forge, then something else. You failed, Shade."

Shade's eyes went wide with anger and steam started to rise from her body. Science and magic, a dangerous combination.

I held a hand up towards her as she started to pull the metal pole out from the ground, "I knew you wouldn't die so easily! I don't want to kill you, but I will if you don't surrender."

Flames licked at the floor directly behind her and I knew my time was about to be up. Either she would come with me, or she was going to die in her own facility. There was no gray area for this situation. That much I knew, and that much she knew as well.

For once, our glances were saying the exact same thing.

"You should have given up while you were still alive, Shade." I said flatly, lighting starting to form at the tips of my fingers. Energy circulated around my hand until the torrents of energy started to swirl in my palm. "Your magic is no match for the Force."

"I've heard that before." Shade said, yanking the pole from the ground, then shoving it out of her body, blood splashing onto the ground. Her hands turned pitch black as she launched a ball of night-colored mist my way.

I jumped high above the attack and launched my own ball of lighting. The attack made contact, her skeleton showing through her skin as the attack enveloped her completely.

Another explosion threw both of us off our feet. I crashed into a wall while she flew up into the air, slamming down on her back as her body finally stopped convulsing. The smell of smoke was strong, but the smell of charred flesh was even stronger.

Her eyes were wide open, and for a moment I thought she was dead.

However, she moved, her body arching in an ungodly way. Her spine moved as if it was made of jelly. Her feet found the ground as her lower body stood upright, while her upper half stayed bent all the way backwards.

Bones and joints snapped back into place, having her stand before me once again, her eyes now shining golden.

"That was cute." She cooed, her voice now something monstrous. "I felt your power beforehand. You're much stronger than that. Why let me live?" Her charred skin flashed back to its original pale color.

I took a step backward, "I don't want to kill you. I want your surrender. I thought knocking you unconscious might help, however, it seems like I was wrong."

Shade took a single step forward, throwing her hand out to the side, her skin morphing into a metal blade, blood dripping off the tip, "Very wrong indeed, Marko."

She moved a bit over to the right, brandishing her blade in the light of the red and orange flames that licked the walls and ceilings. Her facility was burning away around her, including all her projects, and all I saw in her eyes was a determined focus to kill. Everything else, in that moment, was insignificant.

That drive and passion was impressive. There were a dozen other emotions that would try to reign supreme in the brain, but she was letting her rage overtake everything. There was no fear in her. I could feel the absence of fear within her heart.

She had been alive for years and years, and yet her mind hadn't been deterred. And, due to that long lifespan, she had most likely used her own magic to strengthen the bond between her mind and her body. She was able to heal wounds that would take weeks or months to come back from.

That took discipline, patience, and power.

She had mentioned how she had known Revan. But, there was a fond tone to her words. It wasn't one of romance, or even one of friendship, but one that could have been related to…a familial love.

_Maybe. _I thought. _Finding Revan is on her list, but what if it's actually her priority? She won't let me just get in her way. She'll find a way around._

Love was the strongest thing that existed. In times of great darkness, love was the only thing that could completely cut through the fog of lies, betrayal, heartache, and bloodshed.

"You want me to believe that the Forge is your priority, but it's not." I said aloud, watching her facial expression change for just a moment. Maybe it was the tone of my voice that caught her attention. "I should have realized it sooner. You want to find Revan more than anything."

Shade paused, standing straight. Her arms morphed back into regular hands, which found their place at her sides again. The aggression left her eyes all at once, replaced by one of acknowledgment.

I closed my eyes, "What you've become, Shade, is something not even he could accept."

"I know." She said softly. "But, I have to try. What would you _not _do for someone you care about?"

"I would not murder innocent people." I firmly exclaimed, "I would not subject people to experiments and turn them into living weapons. I would not-"

"- lose yourself to the darkness that has always crept inside your heart?" Shade finished my sentence completely. She gave a small smile, "I know about your Dark Side counterpart. I know about Kane. I know you let him go. I know you saw how he cared for his family, and what he was programmed to do. I know that you killed thousands to protect Ahsoka Tano and your unborn children."

"That was war." I frowned, "Killing people that tried to kill the good in the universe was something I hated, but it was something that had to happen. I made a promise. A promise to my mother before she was killed."

"What was the promise?"

I shut my sabers off and hooked them to my belt. The heat in the room was extreme now, and I felt the hairs on my arms start to burn. There wasn't much time now.

I waved my hand to her, "I promised to do whatever it took to make sure that my family stayed safe. I made a promise to end the war." I opened my hand to her, "And, I promise that if you surrender, I'll help you find your peace." I softened a bit more, "Please, don't make me kill you."

"You will not stop me from reaching my goal, Marko." Shade said, her stance tightening once again as her eyes seemed to slit. She twisted her footing before leaping forward, her bladed arms poised to end my existence.

She would end anyone that stood in her way. Including Jedi. Including my family. She wanted to find Revan, but there was no way he was alive. But,_ my _family was alive. They mattered.

And they wouldn't have to deal with her.

In an instant, my blades were up, angled to deflect the strike. And, after she passed on by without harming me, I slashed backwards, cutting up and down, side to side in succession. No pause. No stopping.

I only stopped when she was on the floor, unmoving. I reached out into the Force, and then I gave a sad frown towards her corpse.

"Wrong choice."


	4. Epilogue: The Next Road

Epilogue:

**The Next Road**

Back at the RIA headquarters, I sat in a quite comfortable chair while I waited for the questioning with Hera to be finished. I knew the last thing she wanted was a bunch of bodies to surround her, pelting her with questions, and that's why Caleb was the only person that was allowed in that room.

In addition to that, Murton Lyle was taken into custody and now there were dozens of teams headed to different planets to take care of certain outposts. The investigation had finally got to a peak and the RIA could take down their target.

Ungoli had gotten his charge taken off and his credits were disbursed as well. He had left at least an hour prior to Hera's questioning. I couldn't blame him. He _did _get roped into more than he was comfortable with.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ahsoka walk around the hall's edge. She made her way to the seat beside me, placing a datapad in my lap.

"The report." She said sardonically. If there was one thing that Ahsoka hated more than the Sith, it was field reports, but it was necessary. Anything that happened on Coruscant of that magnitude deserves a detailed account of events.

"My favorite part." I said sarcastically, tapping on the keys a bit as I read the information over while casting her a small look, "Grevious was there."

Ahsoka's eyes widened, but her tone stayed level, "I knew she said that, but I didn't_ actually_ believe it was him. So, that's what that thing was. I didn't even know he was still alive."

"Neither did I." I said, "You can believe me that it took me for a loop when I saw him. Or, really, what was left of him."

"I assume Madam Shade conducted her experiments on him?"

"Yeah." I mumbled, putting a hand up to my beard, "But, at the last second, he was able to tell me where she thought the Forge was."

"Grevious actually did something good?" Ahsoka asked incredulously. Yes, she had a reason to sound skeptical.

"I know." I said. "I know I should take that with a grain of salt."

"What do you want to do about her?" Ahsoka asked, referring to Shade. Her tone was harsh, as well as concerned, "I assume her body was destroyed in the explosion. The task force didn't find any body except ash."

"Yeah, sounds about right." I said, thinking at the same time, "She wasn't human anymore. I may have killed her, but who knows what tricks her age could have. She was thousands of years old. In that time, she could have learned things that I can't even think of acquiring. That and her magic."

"Ah. Magic." Ahsoka muttered, "Never did anyone any good."

Honestly, she was right. There were only a handful of situations, both in this galaxy and in mine, where magic actually played a positive role in a more or less volatile situation.

"The body is taken care of by her own fire." I said. "Basically, she cremated herself."

Gently, Ahsoka slipped her left hand in mine. Her silver ring glistened in the glow of the light, and a smile adorned my face. She gave my hand a squeeze, then leaned up to gently kiss my cheek.

I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath till I exhaled. My lungs expanded, then retracted back to their regular size as I felt my mind clear.

I gave her hand a squeeze back, turning my head and kissing her softly. I pulled her closer to me, my other hand letting the datapad fall into my lap as it caressed her cheek. Her other hand did the same, and I was taken back to the old days.

It was good to know that even though ten years had passed, the love was always still the same. There was no fear that it would fade.

In truth, two people who saved the galaxy together were supposed to stay together.

"What are you going to do about the Forge?" Ahsoka asked suddenly, breaking my train of thought. She had a tendency to do that all the time.

I pondered for a moment, then shrugged, "With Shade gone, the only one who might know where the Forge is – or even knows that it still exists – is me. And you, I guess." I squeezed her hand again, "I think I'm just going to let it be for now."

"You're not going to go on an adventure to find it?" Ahsoka joked.

I shook my head, "No. The Forge is something beyond powerful. That power doesn't belong in anybody's hands, my love. Not even the Republic. Not the Jedi Order either." I cast a look around for a moment, "If things in the Republic go South at any point and they have the Forge, then the galaxy could be at risk."

Ahsoka nodded, "You have a point. However, you and I won't let it get to such a hopeless situation."

I chuckled. There was that optimistic outlook she had. It was one I shared as well, but hearing it from her was always refreshing.

"Well," I started, "we'll sure try. We've been trying to build the right infrastructure since the end of the Clone Wars. We seem to have it down for now. Kinda the reason I created the Rebirth."

"Yeah." Ahsoka said, then perked up just a tad, "But, the idea that _the _Revan is out there doesn't excite you?"

I thought back to my old days playing computer games with Ziv. Those days were carefree times packed with snacks and soda, and sometimes it even included my brother.

The Old Republic MMORPG was a highlight of my life at the time. My friend list was very limited. Mostly, it just consisted of Ziv and Jake. Gradually, it did increase, but they were the center of it all. And, the game brought us together in ways that nothing else did.

Revan was a vortex of adventure and heroism, but also one of terror and death. The Jedi part of him was something of a legend of the Star Wars lore. The Sith part of Revan was a legend, but it was one of death and destruction. Those who faced him never returned to the land from which they came.

Though, honestly, in the back of my mind, the challenge of someone with raw power like mine was definitely intriguing.

But, that wasn't realistic.

"It does." I admitted. "But, what if he's stir crazy and tries to kill us?" I chuckled sarcastically, "To be honest, I don't want to fight that yet."

"Scared?" Ahsoka nudged me gently.

"No." I nudged her back, "Just being cautious."

"I remember a time when you thought you were invincible." Ahsoka said.

"Then I died." I couldn't help but laugh, flashes from the final battle with Wrath and Vader coming to mind.

"Yeah, I remember that quite clearly." Ahsoka said. That was years ago, but it still burned at her heart. That day was a day she didn't want to remember.

But, she lived with it. Everyone did. The galaxy mourned for its hero, then I came back, stronger than ever before. Now, I was a Jedi Master, a husband, _and_ a father.

The best in the galaxy.

"So, I think the mission is over." I said, shutting down the datapad. "We got Lyle. The Black Sun is finally done. Shade is done. Revan is put away. And, Grevious is finally dead."

"Sounds like a good day's work, love." Ahsoka cooed, nestling against me softly. "Ready to go home?"

"You bet I am." I smiled, "I need a nap."

"I think you forget sometimes that we have kids."

That made me laugh, "I momentarily forgot."

The door to the right slid open promptly once the words left my mouth and I rolled my eyes. Turbo walked through the doorway, his helmet off and his face professional.

"Blaze." He greeted, then turned, "Ahsoka."

"Turbo." I said, getting to my feet, "I assumed you're here because of Lyle?"

Turbo cracked a smile, then reached behind him, pulling out a data-card, "Actually, I'm here to give you this."

I took the card from him and looked it intently before plugging it into my wrist com. The display flashed green as it fully downloaded, then an image appeared. It was an image of Ungoli with a brand-new light freighter.

In the image, he was smiling. That was the first time I had seen him with any other expression besides annoyed or angry. At the bottom of the image there were a few words. And, next to the words, was a communication channel's frequency code.

"He said thank you." Ahsoka gave a short laugh, "Maybe, he isn't all that bad."

I shook my head, closing down the image, "I never thought he was bad. He's just a guy trying to make a living." There was a spark in my tone, "Who knows? Maybe we just made another friend."

"I sure hope so." Turbo said, putting his helmet back on, "Cause I would really hate to have to kick his ass."

"You and me both." I grinned, all three of us bursting out into laughter right after.

Ahsoka wrapped her arm around mine, "Sorry, Turbo, but we are getting out of here before anything else happens."

Turbo gave a short salute, "Then get out, _sirs_."

You didn't have to tell the two of us twice. In the blink of an eye, we rushed out of the command center. There wasn't anything else we needed to be a part of. The RIA had it from there.

_Just another day saving the galaxy. _

And, in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think back to Earth. Maybe, one day, I would get to go back. Yularen and other scientists were working on using the green Kyber Shard's power to find and open the portal back to Earth. But, what was even there anymore?

It hit me a second later.

_Kasey. My sister._


End file.
